The Cornell Lab Bird Academy Discussion Groups Nature Journaling and Field Sketching Focusing on Your Subject – Blind Contour Drawing

    • Sandy
      Participant
      Chirps: 32
      Initially I didn't intent to share my results. Seeing what others posted inspired me to repeat the exercise, so thanks for sharing! Did anyone notice the odd shape on the springbok's back left upper leg? Do you know what it is or might might have caused it?IMG_2606
    • Kenneth
      Participant
      Chirps: 4
      Found it difficult to not look at drawing on the newt this focusing improved as I worked through the following pictures. The results were in all cases hilarious , but in all of the pictures there were elements that I could recognize and felt that showed some control of hand eye combination. A exercise that also indicates the usefulness of the short staccato pencil strokes along with the need for constantly changing focus to attain accurate drawing.
    • Susan
      Participant
      Chirps: 8
      I thought I was concentrating well and kept my eyes on the subjects but my goodness my results were hilarious.            
    • Mario
      Participant
      Chirps: 5
      mines went really horrible, i think the only one was the bird of paradise flower haha i have to keep trying!!
    • holly
      Participant
      Chirps: 24
      Once again, share it if you’d like to. Do you think it helped you stay focused on your subject? Indeed it did! I discovered lots of things after this exercise. I can see clearly things I might not have noticed previously, like the effect of light and striations of my subjects things Prof. Fuller has taught us. My inability to judge distance and the amount of time I might need to complete any drawing are clearer after attempting this exercise and from the other things Prof. Fuller has taught us before using BLIND CONTOUR DRAWING. I'm not sure I cheated when I used my right hand as a ruler to simply keep my left hand on the page of my journal. It's a curious exercise and one I'll practice with. She's always so positive, but I was disappointed with myself. I won't give up though because the course is fascinating. I appreciate the work the other students are sharing and wish I'd taken art courses instead of language in college.
    • Kristina
      Participant
      Chirps: 1
      Anyone have tips for getting proportions accurate? Mine are all over the place.
    • Mariane
      Participant
      Chirps: 1
      Guys, look at my Springbok 😂😂😂  Cool excercise though!  I'm here to learn and I am loving it!! image
      • Mary Jo
        Participant
        Chirps: 12
        Love it!  I agree that this course is so cool and especially the sharing of our drawings and learning new techniques.  I have really been enjoying it.
      • Amy
        Participant
        Chirps: 22
        Kudos for posting this! It’s kind of like the top was at the beginning of the jump and the bottom was at the peak.
    • Montecito
      Participant
      Chirps: 22
      At the beginning a though it was difficult to draw without seeing, but after I started, I felt more confident and also relax. It was easier than I though, as you can keep your sight exactly where you are drawing the details of the shapes. This way of drawing the contours helps you focus really on the subject. I loved it.IMG_4581IMG_4580
    • Jean
      Participant
      Chirps: 5
      My eye speed and hand speed don’t seem to match, producing distortion. My newt looked more like a flying squirrel, and some of my springboks are neckless while others look like giraffe x springbok hybrids.  I’m not sure if it helped me focus. I’ll keep trying.
      • Deborah
        Participant
        Chirps: 21
        I had the same problem Jean, my eye and hand speed didn't match.
    • Christina
      Participant
      Chirps: 19
      IMG_6196 Oh that poor bird!! Yikes! I admit I freaked out a little and drew that one too fast... Better try that one again... IMG_6197 That felt better! I do like my bird of paradise, though... IMG_6198 Springbok got kind of a spare tire... something weird happened with his hind foot... that one ear looks like a third horn... If you can't laugh at yourself, you're not having fun.
    • kathleen
      Participant
      Chirps: 7
      That was really difficult to let go of the outcome, but fun in the end. I like that it forced me to really slow down and try to coordinate my hand movements with my view. I liked my springbok the best!image
    • Barbara T.
      Participant
      Chirps: 16
      LOL, I found myself stopping after doing a section to pick up my pencil and draw a new limb or section. It still came out looking funky!
    • Sarah
      Participant
      Chirps: 8
      I notice I’m better on the down strokes, less accurate on the return, or upstrokes.
    • Donna
      Participant
      Chirps: 34
      I never attempted this before, an interesting exercise, my newt was pretty good in some parts, not so much in others, but the general body shape is there.image
    • Susan
      Participant
      Chirps: 13
      When there are many small appendages it's harder to draw without removing hand from page then when it's more of a solid mass like the newt, but you had to focus on both the subject and the flow of your hand so I'd think it's helpful when sketching a moving subject.